Iowa State's Deshaunte Jones (8) runs in for the go ahead touchdown making the score 26-24 during their football game against Drake at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018, in Ames. Iowa State would go on to win 27-24.(Photo11: Brian Powers/The Register)Buy Photo

AMES, Ia. — I like this game, up-and-comer Iowa State against Mike Leach’s high-flying Washington State team that leads the nation with an average of 379.8 passing yards.

It’s in prime time. It’s among the first tier of bowls after the New Year’s Six.

Big 12 Conference vs. the Pac-12 Conference. Two-time Big 12 coach of the year against the entertaining Pirate. Yeah, I like the Cyclones taking on the Cougars in the Dec. 28 Alamo Bowl in San Antonio’s Alamodome.

I liked Iowa State to the Riverwalk a long time ago, too, once it was evident Campbell’s team was going to be better than the Cheez-It Bowl in Arizona. I liked it a lot more than alleged national experts that had West Virginia repping the conference in this game.

You know that pre-bowl chatter about Iowa State and the Camping World Bowl? Preposterous. That blow-back you heard after the Cyclones squeaked past Drake on a horrible day and on even worse field conditions ...

And the crazy babble about Iowa State falling in the bowl pecking order because of it?

Matt Campbell will be around to coach 8-4 Iowa State against the 10-2, 13th-ranked Cougars. He told The Register two weeks ago that he’ll be the Cyclones’ coach next season — as long as Jamie Pollard will have him.

So much for national chatter that has Campbell immediately headed to almost every good job that opens.

And have you heard the one about West Virginia quarterback Will Grier not saying whether he’ll play in the bowl game, possibly opting instead to stay healthy and prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft?

As of late afternoon Sunday, the word was that he hadn’t decided. As of late Sunday afternoon, Iowa State’s star cornerback, senior Brian Peavy, vowed to be all-in for what will be his school’s best-ever bowl in at least the modern era.

“Yeah, I’ll play,” he said. “You can get hurt walking up the steps of the (football facility). I’ve work so hard for that game. Why would I just give it up?"

Iowa State welcomes another opportunity to show the college football world about its positively-trending program.

“Finally receiving some credit for all the hard work these guys put in in this program,” Peavy said. “It feels good to get rewarded. It’s big for the program.”

Out west, Washington State wasn’t as thrilled, as per a statement from AD Pat Chun that Spokane (Wash.) Spokesman Review reporter Theo Lawson posted on his Twitter account:

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Iowa State's David Montgomery (32) walks off the field after ISU defeated Drake 27-24 during their football game at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018, in Ames.(Photo11: Brian Powers/The Register)

“We’re very disappointed with where we ended up being ranked. We believe as a 10-win team in a Power Five league, the manner in which our two losses came, statistically how we match up with other teams kind of in the same cluster as us, we believe our resume ranked perhaps higher than where the committee thought it was. But they’re empowered to make those decisions. We’ll respect those decisions, we are not happy with where we’re ranked, but we’re ecstatic to be in the Alamo Bowl.”

Washington State was 13th in the College Football Playoff rankings that came out Sunday. Iowa State was 24th.

Big deal. The Cyclones recovered nicely after a 1-3 start. And as for that three-point win against Drake ...

“They won the game, and that’s ultimately what mattered,” said Derrick Fox, the Alamo Bowl’s CEO said. “I know it was sloppy, sloppy field conditions, and a unique situation to end up having to change opponents, but that just kind of goes with what coach Campbell talked about on our press conference here — the year is full of unique challenges and adversity that they’ve faced.”

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson has been with the Register for parts of five decades. Randy writes opinion and analysis of Iowa State football and basketball. You can reach Randy at rpeterson@dmreg.com or on Twitter at @RandyPete.